[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 5976-5977]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I wish today to recognize the 
North Seattle Community College, in my home State of Washington, as a 
local leader in sustainability practices. The work of North Seattle 
Community College, and especially of the North Seattle Community 
College Sustainability Committee, has made significant contributions to 
raising awareness of sustainability issues in everyday life on the 
campus.
  Created in 2005, the North Seattle Community College Sustainability 
Committee holds regular meetings to coordinate sustainability practices 
with faculty, staff, administrators, students, and interested local 
residents. This committee has helped to create and implement an 
impressive list of community-wide activities including: sustainability 
curriculum, courses, and service learning opportunities; a Web site 
with useful resources; and an annual Earth Day celebration.
  The North Seattle Community College Sustainability Committee also 
helped incorporate new resource management practices into campus 
operations and expanded the campus trail system. By providing these 
services, the North Seattle Community College Sustainability Committee 
has done a wonderful job of engaging students, teachers, and local 
citizens.
  I believe that in order to truly embrace the opportunities and 
challenges of tomorrow, the youth of our Nation must have access to 
programs that foster stewardship and long-term commitment to community 
awareness. Washington State is fortunate to have schools like North 
Seattle Community College, which is a natural arena for the kind of 
innovation our Nation needs in order to embrace new environmentally 
friendly practices. Green programs and activities are critical to the 
development of environmentally aware citizens. I was proud to introduce 
the Higher Education Sustainability Act to help provide resources for 
college and universities to implement sustainability programs, and my 
hope is that schools like North Seattle Community College will continue 
to serve as great role models for other colleges around the Nation as 
they work on sustainability issues.
  It is inspiring to see that the issue of sustainability is bringing 
people together, and I am proud North Seattle Community College is 
empowering the entire campus to work on positive solutions. I am sure 
North Seattle Community College will continue to be successful in 
inspiring change and providing continued leadership on this important 
issue.
 Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, with Earth Day just a week away, 
I wish to recognize the steps colleges and universities in my State are 
taking to increase public awareness about the effect our daily actions 
have on the environment. Specifically, I would like to applaud the 
commitment North Seattle Community College has made to incorporate 
sustainable practices into everyday life at the college and local 
level.
  Sustainability, the simple idea that we can meet the needs of the 
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet 
their own needs is a concept that is relevant to our lives now more 
than ever. Today, our reliance on fossil fuels is not only exacerbating 
economic woes, it is driving too many of our foreign policy decisions 
and fueling the detrimental forces of climate change. It is time we 
shift our focus to sustainable practices that encourage a cleaner 
environment, healthier communities, a stronger economy, and most 
importantly, national security.
  My home State of Washington has always been a leader when it comes to 
environmental sustainability. For 75 years we have been on the cutting 
edge of utilizing natural resources to create sustainable, clean 
emissions power. I think that Washingtonians, living next door to some 
of the most pristine river valleys and snowcapped peaks in the world, 
realize how unfair it would be if our great-grandchildren couldn't do 
the same.
  Furthering our State's environmentally conscious tradition, in the 
spring of 2005, North Seattle Community College president Dr. Ron 
LaFayette put NSCC on track to be a leader in the sustainability 
movement by creating a standing advisory Sustainable Committee to 
address issues of sustainability at the school.
  The committee, made up of faculty, staff, administrators, students, 
and interested citizenry, began meeting regularly in 2006. Since then, 
it has spearheaded NSCC's efforts to become a local and national model 
for sustainability practices.

[[Page 5977]]

  The Sustainability Committee created and has begun to implement goals 
that include creating and developing a fact sheet, Web site, and other 
information-sharing methodology; creating and coordinating curriculum 
around sustainability issues. This includes developing new stand-alone 
courses, integrated studies programs, service learning and distance 
learning opportunities; furthering the development of a campus trail 
system, including a walking trail and an interpretive nature trail; 
incorporating sustainable practices into campus operations--including 
food service, waste management, and resource usage; and sponsoring the 
annual Earth Week celebration. In 2007, this festival included guest 
speakers and over 35 vendors including educational institutions, 
environmental nonprofits, and neighborhood businesses.
  I am personally encouraged by the attention North Seattle Community 
College and other Washington State schools have given to advancing 
sustainable practices in our schools and communities. I hope more 
institutions of higher education will follow suit in years to 
come.

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